Enhance monthly dole, urge disability pension beneficiaries

TIRUCHY: The beneficiaries of the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS) have deplored the union government’s allotment of Rs 300 per month since 2012, and have appealed to the Centre to increase the amount on par with the contribution of the state government, which would be helpful to meet their regular expenses.

The IGNDPS, which is a part of the National Social Assistance Programme, provides financial aid to severely and multiply disabled persons in the age group between 18 and 80.

The state government has been providing a sum of Rs 2,000 to 3,000 per month, along with the union government contribution of Rs 300, which was fixed in 2012.

“We have been fighting for increasing the fund and even staged a protest in Delhi for revising the union government contribution, but in vain,” said, E Elangovan, Coordinator of Tamil Nadu Rights for Persons with Disability and RTI activists Association.

He said that the union government has not increased a single penny for the past 13 years, and Rs 300 is just a meagre amount that a person cannot even have a cup of tea.

“Andhra Pradesh provides up to Rs 6,000 per month as they are receiving adequate funds from the union government. But in Tamil Nadu, we are given between Rs 2,000 and 3,000 per month, and the state government blames poor fund allocation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Swamimalai Sundara Vimalnathan, the president of the association, said that the association, through the Differently-abled Welfare Department Commissioner, send a representation to the union government in the National Level Differently Abled Persons Consultative Council held during the month of December.

“The union government officials who were present assured us to increase the amount, but till today, nothing has been done so far, and we will continue to fight for it,” said Vimalnathan.

He also said that the state government has been distributing assistance to around 11 lakh beneficiaries, among them 5.30 lakh eligible persons are still waiting to receive the monetary assistance. “We have been approaching the state government officials who point at the union government’s delay in fund allocation and citing fund crunch,” he said further.

He appealed to the newly elected Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan to speak for them during his maiden speech in the parliament.

“We have sent all the details to Kamal Haasan appealing for his support,” he added.

However, a senior official from the differently abled welfare department said that the Tamil Nadu government has been taking various initiatives for the welfare of the differently abled persons.

“Despite the poor fund allotment from the union government, the state government has been providing a sum between Rs 2,000 and 3,000 per month for the IGNDPS beneficiaries.

Other than this, the state government has several exclusive welfare assistance programmes for 21 types of differently abled persons, among which 14 are supported by the revenue department,” he said.